Milk is the only food required by an infant until it is, at least, seven or eight months old, or until sufficient saliva is secreted to assist digestion; some authorities say one year, others until the child has sufficient teeth with which to masticate food. If nature's supply is not available, or sufficient, the best substitute is cow's milk. As cow's milk contains less sugar of milk, and fat (cream), than human milk, these must be supplied. Being more acid than alkaline, this must be corrected by the use of lime water. There is more casein (curd) in cow's milk than in mother's milk, therefore water must be added to reduce this. The following proportions have been submitted as a digestible form of preparing cow's milk for young infants (Dr. Meigs):-- Cream, 2 tbsps. Milk, 1 tbsp. Lime water, 2 tbsps. Milk-sugar water, 3 tbsps. One quarter of this amount to be given every two hours during the day, and once or twice at night. After the baby is a week old, the quantity may be increased to one-half at each meal; at two months the whole amount prepared may be given at once. The proportion of milk should be gradually increased, and the water and cream decreased, until at two months old the proportion should be:-- 3 tbsps. milk. 1 tbsp. cream. 1 tbsp. lime water. 3 tbsps. sugar water. When six months old the quantity of milk is doubled. It should be increased every day until ten tablespoonfuls are given at a feeding. BARLEY WATER. 2 tbsps. pearl barley. 1 pt. boiling water. Wash the barley carefully. Pour over it the boiling water. Let it simmer for two hours. Strain and sweeten with a pinch of sugar of milk. MILK-SUGAR WATER. 1/2 oz. sugar of milk. 1/2 pt. boiling water. Dissolve, and keep closely covered. It will not keep long, so should be made when required to use. LIME WATER. Take a lump of lime weighing about one ounce. Put in a bottle with a quart of cold water (which has been boiled). Shake the bottle well until the lime is dissolved, and let it stand for 12 hours. Pour the clear liquid into another bottle, being careful not to disturb the sediment. Keep carefully corked. Water will only absorb a certain quantity of lime, so there is no danger of its being too strong. As cow's milk is more difficult to digest than mother's milk, it is sometimes necessary to substitute barley water in place of the lime water and milk, using the same amount of cream as given in recipe. MALTED FOOD. 2 oz. wheat flour or barley meal. 1-3/4 qts. water. 1 tsp. extract of malt. Mix the flour to a paste with a little water, gradually add a quart of the water; put it in a double boiler and boil 10 minutes. Dissolve the malt extract in 4 tbsps. of the water (cold). Lift out the inner vessel and add the malt and remainder of the cold water. Let it stand 15 minutes, replace, and boil again for 15 minutes. Strain through a wire gauze strainer. (Half this quantity may be made.)